***December Snowflakes 2012 Parenting***

[bbygurl719]

Hey all we are on the mend finally. Angel had a bad cold. She still stuffy but better. I had a cold now just have the end cough. N my poor Ella had a sinus infection which resulted in a really bad bloody nose that my mom pulled out a good inch long clot. And I ended up hurting my foot Saturday night. Went to hospital yesterday I badly bruised my heel bone. But that's on the mend too..

 

[scoobydrlp]

Hi all! Checking in while on vacation. Camden did pretty well on the ride here, was super grouchy for the first 20 minutes or so but finally fell asleep. The rest of the time went well...took about 7 hours total including stopping for lunch. Went to the beach yesterday and she wasn't afraid of the water this time! Also have been to the pool a few times which she loves. We played mini golf with some friends this afternoon and I carried her in my ergo baby carrier, it worked great! Super comfortable, she was in it more than an hour and she never felt heavy or hurt my back or anything. We've been having trouble getting our naps in around all the other stuff we're doing so I kind of expected her to be grumpy, but she was very calm and relaxed the whole time.

I'm starting to think I might be seeing a decrease in my supply. I mainly say that because when I pumped this morning after feeding I barely got 3oz from both sides combined, and I usually get between 5-7. But also Camden has not been sleeping well the past several nights so instead of no overnight feedings like usual she's been getting 2 or 3. I guess that would keep me from having a large amount available in the morning. Only time will tell.

Expat, so sorry about your flight. No fun at all!

Bean, happy 7 months to Amber!

Welcome back Elljo! Good luck reading through the whole thread, could take quite a while!

Kelly, sounds like you had a nice trip, and good for Carter for eating and sleeping well while you were gone.

Daydream, I can't believe how many teeth Harrison has already! Still nothing for Camden.

Bbygurl, sorry about all the bad luck with health your family is having lately.

 

[bbygurl719]

Ty.. I discovered tonight that angel has a tooth cutting it's right at the gum..

 

[sigh]

I haven't had a chance to read through but hope you all are doing well!

Ellie cut her first tooth yesterday and it looks like there may be many more coming since her top gums are swollen as well. I'm going to miss that gummy smile!

 

[Chloe597]

aww, lots of toothy babies! Still no teeth for Gabby, and she is 8 months now!

I feel like my supply fluctuates all the time. Last week I was pumping a lot, but yesterday I had about 4 oz less than my daily usual, which is almost an entire bottle's worth, and this morning I was a couple ounces short of normal.. Not sure what to make of that?

G has also not been napping well. I'm not sure if it now relates to her tummy sleeping at night, since I have heard babies sleep deeper on their tummies, but her naps are less frequent now. She has only had one nap a day for the past few days. I am hoping its a fluke. Or maybe its because she is more well rested at night due to tummy sleep?? Anyone else notice this trend?

Scooby, enjoy your vacation! Glad you enjoyed the Ergo. I love mine! Can't wait to try to figure out the back carry.

Elijo, good luck with your reading. Welcome back!

DH is going out of the country for a week on monday...So i'll be a single mama for that week. Hopefully this time I wont have the stomach flu, like last time he left on a business trip.

 

[ImSoTired]

Wow congrats Angel and Ellie on your first little toothems! I hope they come in quick and painless. No teeth her yet either!

Scooby that's great that you're having a good vacation. Any little thing messes up Cait's naps so I'd imagine that vacation would mess it up a lot and maybe your supply as well. I'm not sure though as I no longer breastfeed. Maybe it's just a fluke. I hope you have a great vacation!

Chloe I hope you do well flying solo while your DH is away. Best of luck, and no stomach bugs this time!

I'm feeling a little queezy myself and I'm so so sleepy. I need a break or a vacation too! I don't think we'll be going anywhere though as we just bought the new car. There is a fair at the end of September maybe DH will take a day or two off and go down there with us and let me sleep in a morning or two? Or maybe he'll let me sleep one of these weekends..

I hope you're all well

 

[daydream]

Imsotired - I haven't noticed him in actual pain with his teeth, he just doesn't settle to sleep as well. So I give him the teething tablets just to help with that. Last night he woke up twice but that's better than it's been, I think the night before I noticed his tooth he was up four times total.

Yay for the first teeth for you sigh and bby! The gummy smiles are cute, but I think the little teethy smiles are just as adorable. Harrison's two little bottom teeth brighten my day.

(please ignore his ridiculous outfit.. I put him in a tank top and shorts for the beach without checking the weather.. we had to dig his backup outfit out of his diaper bag so he would be warmer)

Sorry to those feeling under the weather, I hope you feel better soon!

Scooby - when I have to do night feedings I always notice I have less when I pump in the mornings, I think that's totally normal

Chloe - interesting about your supply, I wonder if Chloe is eating more when she's with you? Hopefully it's just a dip that will catch up in the next day or two. Good luck with single mamadom next week!

 

[bbygurl719]

for those of u with toothless babies.. its ok they dont have any yet.. my 20 month old only got her first tooth @ 10 1/2 months old.. so angel is beating her lol... it aint cut thru the gum yet but u can see the white top of the tooth.. i got all excited when i seen it lol

 

[Beanonorder]

Yay for those with teeth! We still have none. I think its going to be a while before any come in.
Scooby so glad you have had the chance to go on holiday. I'm on summer holidays now and we found out last minute that my dh is getting ten days from next Monday. But sadly with such short notice we don't have the funds to do anything.

Daydream, Harrison is such a handsome little guy!

Chloe good luck while dh is away!

I'm sad to say I stopped bf on Monday. I was only feeding Amber once in the morning and I'm not sure she was even taking in much. I was a little sad about it but I'm hopeful that it won't be the last time ever!
I am so frustrated with Amber's sleeping at the moment! Of course I'm very grateful she doesn't wake up during the night but she's now started waking up at 5am. And I really don't want to wake up then! And she has cut her main two naps down to one hour instead of two. Despite all this I STILL can't get rid of the third nap! Sorry I just needed to rant about it!

My sister-in-laws older sister just found out last week that she is 14 weeks pregnant! She is 43 and her dh is 60. Their son turns 18 next year!! They tried for so long to have a second one, including all sorts of fertility treatments, and nothing happened. So they'd long given up on it and now, just when they think their child rearing days are coming to an end they are starting all over again! Apparently she's been really sick but of course pregnancy never entered their minds so it was a total shock!

 

[sigh]

bean - I'm sorry you had to stop bfing. We are having the same sleep issue! She was waking at 530 a few days and wouldn't go back to sleep but she's now feeds then goes down again for an hour. We are having the same issue with naps though. No matter how much I try to plan and time it, she always seems to need a short nap around 6, which messes with her 8 pm bedtime. Everything I'm reading says I should put her to bed super early but with work, bedtime routine etc there's no way I can get her to bed before 8 pm. frustrating!!

daydream - cuteeee pics! are you bfing? I'm worried about the teeth!! I could actually feel it during the feeding tonight and it's barely out.

 

[ImSoTired]

Daydream, Harrison is adorable! I do love those two little teeth there. very cute!

bbygrl I didn't get teeth until 10 1/2 months so I'm sort of thinking Cait will follow suit. I just hope she doesn't go too far, like past 12 months because I'd like her to have solids around that time.

Bean it was a sad day when I quit breastfeeding too but I just hope that I'll do better at it next time. Enjoy your Dh's holiday time even if you can't actually go anywhere I'm sure it'll be nice being at home together.

As for sleeping we seem to be having good luck with naps but Cait keeps fussing in her sleep and waking me but not actually waking up. I'm not sure what it is about but it's not fun, waking for no reason. Could she be having bad dreams?

I hope you're all well

 

[expatttc]

Okeydokey - Rosa's pee at night now is smeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelly -- like sulfur, I-thought-she-pood smelly. I was worried it might be UTI because she's so fussy too, but she doesn't have a fever. A few googles later it looks like the smell could be linked to teething? She has been doing lots of getting ready for that recently, but no teeth have come through yet.....anyone else's LOs having this? Or maybe it's because of purees??

 

[expatttc]

Daydream suuuuch a cutie you have there! Heehee!
Bean -- we are going to start introducing formula at night I think, in the next few weeks, and I am worried it will lead to the end of bf for us...you've done amazing! Congrats to your sister as well!

 

[daydream]

No I haven't felt the teeth much while BFing. Last night he did a slight clamp down when he was falling asleep and I hadn't removed him yet. So I just have to be more aware of making sure I don't let him stay on longer than just to eat.

 

[Kelly M]

Hugs to you bean for having to stop bfing. You made it quite far though!

Expat, I've heard that teething changes the acidity of the urine and can give bad diaper rash so maybe that is also changing the smell? Either way no fun!

Sigh, I haven't felt any teeth while nursing C but his tongue covers his bottom teeth when he latches so the top might bring something new for us in that department. I've been lucky enough (knock on wood) that he hasn't bitten yet. He definitely getting his top teeth. He was super cranky today and went to bed at 6:30 tonight. He's already woken up crying once at 7 pm.

I donated about 50 oz of milk to a woman in my area and feel so happy about it! I'm glad I am able to nourish another baby and get updates on him and see how he grows on my milk. I hope he likes it! His momma couldn't make milk and has been getting donations from the community and he's lasted two months on those alone so we are doing a great job here banding together. I feel so good about it. Feels awesome to know I'm feeding my baby and helping another baby out too!

Carter is pulling up to everything. I got a video of him walking along the furniture today. It's cute what he does at the end. I'm so tired though! He's literally falling and smacking his head on the tile every other minute and I can catch him most times but if I need a drink of water or to pee I have to put him up in his walker or high chair. I feel awful that he smacked his head three times within an hour tonight because I was trying to get a sandwich and Ava was in the walker so I had nowhere to put him. Bad mommy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI7GZdHphtw

 

[daydream]

Kelly - our boys seem to be right at the same spot developmentally, I bet they would have a blast playing together!

We have a milk bank locally that tests/prepares/delivers milk to preemies in the local hospital. So far I've donated 210 oz. It's the very best feeling in the world. I'm hoping to be able to do another donation or two before I stop pumping at 1 year old

 

[Beanonorder]

Well after posting about Amber and sounds she has suddenly started 'talking' again. And she has added dada to her repertoire! Its very cute.

For the SAHM, what do you do with you babies all day? Amber is starting to become super clingy and doesn't like playing for long on the floor alone. I am really struggling to get things done and wondering what it will be like when I go back to work! And although I get on the floor and play with her and sing with her I'm worried that I'm not spending enough time with her.

 

[ImSoTired]

Kelly, Cait is just the same. Creeping along the furniture and falling quite often. I do feel like she falls a little less each day so lets hope they stop falling all together sometime soon.

That's great about the donated breastmilk ladies! great job! I wish I would have been able to do that.

Bean, Cait has very clingy days too when I can't get anything done but she also has days where she just wants to be on the floor and doesn't want me to hold her at all. Usually when I'km busy and she wants me she will just fuss of complain, not really cry so I'll put her in her playpen or her walker and leave her go while I do the dishes or whatever. I also try to get some things done while she sleeps. Even though I'm home with her all day I still feel like I could do more with her. I think that's something every mom feels at some point.

Cait slept so peacefully last night. She didn't fuss in her sleep once. I hope she continues sleeping like that as I can't be waking every hour or 2 for fussing...if she needed a bottle that's one thing but just sleep crying is another. I've been so tired because of the waking, not to mention the constant running and chasing. I feel like I have a full fledged toddler!

I hope you're all having a great day!

 

[Kelly M]

I'm feeling at my wits end today ladies. C was up a thousand times last night and he woke at 5 am for the day. I am also watching super cranky Ava today. I can't stand it anymore. I hoped C would be sleeping better by now but its awful. I know exactly what u mean ist. I have a toddler in the day and a newborn at night. When will it become easier? I'm sorry for the rant. I'm just feeling so down and exhausted. I can't even eat or go to the bathroom most days.my house is a mess. I have work to do but can't get to it. I have to go grocery shopping bc we have no food but I dont know when I'll be able to. I want to cry!

 

[ImSoTired]

I'm feeling at my wits end today ladies. C was up a thousand times last night and he woke at 5 am for the day. I am also watching super cranky Ava today. I can't stand it anymore. I hoped C would be sleeping better by now but its awful. I know exactly what u mean ist. I have a toddler in the day and a newborn at night. When will it become easier? I'm sorry for the rant. I'm just feeling so down and exhausted. I can't even eat or go to the bathroom most days.my house is a mess. I have work to do but can't get to it. I have to go grocery shopping bc we have no food but I dont know when I'll be able to. I want to cry!

We have all been where you are. My house is a wreck, I am tired, my child is cranky. I have a headache by mid afternoon because i haven't had time to even get myself a drink of water and I haven't shaved my legs in at least 2 weeks because my showers are about 3 minutes long. Some nights I sleep and some nights I'm up 5 times. It's unpredictable. I can't figure out any type of pattern to make her sleep great every night. I feel like trash because I've been eating whatever is convenient to eat and have no time to work out (my workout is baby chasing) and I've not done my hair forever. I get stress/hormonal breakouts too and my bp is borderline high (prob due to lack of sleep). I'm run down and cranky myself. I just keep hoping everyday that things will get better, it's all going to pass. And then I'll have a good day once in a while. When Cait is happy I realize it's all worth it and this is what being a mom is all about. It will get better, it has to. And you can rant and rave here about it all you want because we all know exactly what you mean. it's not easy.